Friday July 21, 2017

Everyone’s heard the George Santayana quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” But what can comics help us to remember? As it turns out, quite a lot. Andrew Farago (Cartoon Art Museum) delves into the past with Comic-Con special guests Box Brown (Tetris), Nathan Hale (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales), Sarah Glidden (Rolling Blackouts), John Holmstrom (The Best of Punk Magazine), Lewis Trondheim (Poppies of Iraq), and Brigitte Findakly (Poppies of Iraq).

Saturday July 22, 2017

12:30-1:30pm, Room 6DE: DC’s Harley Quinn: Celebrating 25 Years

Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Harleen Quinzel made her first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series, and what a debut it was! An instant fan favorite-and her popularity has been meteoric ever since! Come celebrate her first appearance anniversary with some of the key contributors to this modern icon. Featuring Paul Dini, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Chad Hardin, Kevin Conroy, Tara Strong, and Andrew Farago.

1:30-2:30pm, Room 8: Unconventional Comics

Comics are all about super powers and saving the world, right? Discover the rich and growing market for comics that may lack super-powered heroes but are super all the same. Moderator Andrew Farago (Cartoon Art Museum) discusses with panelists R. Sikoryak (Terms and Conditions), Simon Hanselmann (Megg & Mogg), Gemma Correll (The Worrier’s Guide to Life), and Melanie Gillman (As the Crow Flies) how they were inspired to write their unconventional books and why the comics format was right for their work.

In early 2017, Insight Editions launched Insight Comics, a dynamic new imprint dedicated to publishing original and licensed graphic novels. These beautifully illustrated stories run the gamut from tales of post-apocalyptic horror and sci-fi survival to epic fantasy battles, supernatural adventures, and thrilling detective mysteries for people of all ages. Meet the editors and creators behind the brand, get a glimpse of what the team has planned for the rest of 2017 and beyond, and learn why Insight Comics is the preeminent home for creators. Panelists include Mark Irwin (editor), Katie Kubert (editor), Nilah Magruder (M.F.K.), Richard Hamilton (Scoop), Jean Dufaux (Djinn), Arianna Irwin (The Comet), Tom Sniegoski (Atomic Frenchie), and Frank Tieri (comic book writer).

I’ll have Eastman/Laird bookplate editions of TMNT: The Ultimate Visual History available at booth #206! I’m staffing both my own booth and the Cartoon Art Museum‘s booth this year, as always, and will be joined by the great Gene Luen Yang on Saturday and the double-great Thien Pham on Sunday. This is my SIXTEENTH YEAR at this convention, and it’s always one of my favorites.